Hand Rankings
This ranking is used in all tournaments and is universally accepted. You must choose five cards among those available to make the best possible hand. When you compare two hands, you must always take all five cards into account.
Hands are ranked from the least valuable to the most valuable.
These rules apply to all versions of Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha and Five Card Stud.
High Card
The hand contains no pair, no straight and no flush and its value is determined by the value of the best card. Here, the High Card is the King (King High).
Pair
Two identical cards with three un-matching cards. In this example, the player has a pair of sevens.
Two Pair
Two identical cards combined with two other identical cards of a different value, and a fifth card. Here, the player has two pair, sevens and fives, in hand.
Three of a kind (Set)
Three identical cards combined with two cards of different values. This player has a set of Queens.
Straight
Five cards that are of consecutive values but that are not of the same suit. The highest card determines the value of the straight. Here, the player has a straight, ten high.
Flush
Five non-consecutive cards of the same suit. The highest card determines the value of the flush. In our example, the player is holding a flush, Queen high.
Full House
3 identical cards combined with 2 identical cards. A full house is three of a kind plus a pair. The full house is classified by the strength of its three of a kind. Here, our player has a full house, sevens (since he has three of them), with a pair of four.
Four of a kind
4 identical cards plus a fifth card. This player has four Kings.
Straight flush
5 consecutive cards of the same suit. A straight flush is the combination of a flush and a straight. It’s also the most valuable hand in poker, only being beaten by the magical higher straight flush. The highest card determines its value. Here, the player is holding a straight flush, nine high.
Royal Flush
The straight flush where the Ace is the high card. This is simply the best hand in poker, and rare enough to make most players remember every one they’ve seen.
